Downloadable three-dimensional models

ABSTRACT

A server is configured to store a number of different models of an object in machine-ready form corresponding to a number of different three-dimensional printers having differing capabilities and/or hardware configurations. When a user at a client device or a printer requests the object, the server automatically determines a printer type and selects a suitable, corresponding machine-ready model for immediate fabrication by the printer.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.13/914,448 filed Jun. 10, 2013 which claims the benefit of U.S. App. No.61/657,241 filed on Jun. 8, 2012, each of which the entire content ishereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

In general, computer representations of objects are shared in anabstract, descriptive form such as a computer-automated design (CAD)file or a stereolithography (STL) file. While these formats can providea relatively compact and universal representation of a three-dimensionalobject, they generally require additional processing by a user in orderto render machine-ready instructions for a three-dimensional printer.This process, sometimes referred to as “slicing” (in reference to thedecomposition of the object into a sequence of two-dimensional slices)can be very processing intensive, and often requires user selection of avariety of parameters relating to layer thickness, infilling density,tool temperature, tool speeds, and so forth. Parameter optimization willdepend in part of the type of three-dimensional printer being used.Further complicating this process, certain features of objects willgenerally render better using certain slicing parameters, and asuccessful print may require significant user experimentation. Thesechallenges are exacerbated by the proliferation of three-dimensionalprinters and the increasing number of users with divergent hardware whoare seeking printable content online.

There remains a need for tools that improve network access to printablecontent by users of three-dimensional printers.

SUMMARY

A server is configured to store a number of different models of anobject in machine-ready form corresponding to a number of differentthree-dimensional printers having differing capabilities and/or hardwareconfigurations. When a user at a client device or a printer requests theobject, the server automatically determines a printer type and selects asuitable, corresponding machine-ready model for immediate fabrication bythe printer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The invention and the following detailed description of certainembodiments thereof may be understood by reference to the followingfigures:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a three-dimensional printer.

FIG. 2 depicts a networked three-dimensional printing environment.

FIG. 3 shows a data structure for storing machine-ready models ofthree-dimensional objects.

FIG. 4 shows a server configured to provide machine-ready models ofthree-dimensional objects.

FIG. 5 shows a flow chart for providing machine-ready models ofthree-dimensional objects.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

All documents mentioned herein are hereby incorporated in their entiretyby reference. References to items in the singular should be understoodto include items in the plural, and vice versa, unless explicitly statedotherwise or clear from the text. Grammatical conjunctions are intendedto express any and all disjunctive and conjunctive combinations ofconjoined clauses, sentences, words, and the like, unless otherwisestated or clear from the context. Thus the term “or” should generally beunderstood to mean “and/or” and so forth.

The following description emphasizes three-dimensional printers usingfused deposition modeling or similar techniques where a bead of materialis extruded in a layered series of two dimensional patterns as “roads,”“paths” or the like to form a three-dimensional object from a digitalmodel. It will be understood, however, that numerous additivefabrication techniques are known in the art including without limitationmultijet printing, stereolithography, Digital Light Processor (“DLP”)three-dimensional printing, selective laser sintering, and so forth.Such techniques may benefit from the systems and methods describedbelow, and all such printing technologies are intended to fall withinthe scope of this disclosure, and within the scope of terms such as“printer”, “three-dimensional printer”, “fabrication system”, and soforth, unless a more specific meaning is explicitly provided orotherwise clear from the context.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a three-dimensional printer. In general,the printer 100 may include a build platform 102, an extruder 106, anx-y-z positioning assembly 108, and a controller 110 that cooperate tofabricate an object 112 within a working volume 114 of the printer 100.

The build platform 102 may include a surface 116 that is rigid andsubstantially planar. The surface 116 may provide a fixed, dimensionallyand positionally stable platform on which to build the object 112. Thebuild platform 102 may include a thermal element 130 that controls thetemperature of the build platform 102 through one or more active devices132, such as resistive elements that convert electrical current intoheat, Peltier effect devices that can create a heating or coolingaffect, or any other thermoelectric heating and/or cooling devices. Thethermal element 130 may be coupled in a communicating relationship withthe controller 110 in order for the controller 110 to controllablyimpart heat to or remove heat from the surface 116 of the build platform102.

The extruder 106 may include a chamber 122 in an interior thereof toreceive a build material. The build material may, for example, includeacrylonitrile butadiene styrene (“ABS”), high-density polyethylene(“HDPL”), polylactic acid (“PLA”), or any other suitable plastic,thermoplastic, or other material that can usefully be extruded to form athree-dimensional object. The extruder 106 may include an extrusion tip124 or other opening that includes an exit port with a circular, oval,slotted or other cross-sectional profile that extrudes build material ina desired cross-sectional shape.

The extruder 106 may include a heater 126 (also referred to as a heatingelement) to melt thermoplastic or other meltable build materials withinthe chamber 122 for extrusion through an extrusion tip 124 in liquidform. While illustrated in block form, it will be understood that theheater 126 may include, e.g., coils of resistive wire wrapped about theextruder 106, one or more heating blocks with resistive elements to heatthe extruder 106 with applied current, an inductive heater, or any otherarrangement of heating elements suitable for creating heat within thechamber 122 sufficient to melt the build material for extrusion. Theextruder 106 may also or instead include a motor 128 or the like to pushthe build material into the chamber 122 and/or through the extrusion tip124.

In general operation (and by way of example rather than limitation), abuild material such as ABS plastic in filament form may be fed into thechamber 122 from a spool or the like by the motor 128, melted by theheater 126, and extruded from the extrusion tip 124. By controlling arate of the motor 128, the temperature of the heater 126, and/or otherprocess parameters, the build material may be extruded at a controlledvolumetric rate. It will be understood that a variety of techniques mayalso or instead be employed to deliver build material at a controlledvolumetric rate, which may depend upon the type of build material, thevolumetric rate desired, and any other factors. All such techniques thatmight be suitably adapted to delivery of build material for fabricationof a three-dimensional object are intended to fall within the scope ofthis disclosure.

The x-y-z positioning assembly 108 may generally be adapted tothree-dimensionally position the extruder 106 and the extrusion tip 124within the working volume 114. Thus by controlling the volumetric rateof delivery for the build material and the x, y, z position of theextrusion tip 124, the object 112 may be fabricated in three dimensionsby depositing successive layers of material in two-dimensional patternsderived, for example, from cross-sections of a computer model or othercomputerized representation of the object 112. A variety of arrangementsand techniques are known in the art to achieve controlled linearmovement along one or more axes. The x-y-z positioning assembly 108 may,for example, include a number of stepper motors 109 to independentlycontrol a position of the extruder 106 within the working volume alongeach of an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis. More generally, the x-y-zpositioning assembly 108 may include without limitation variouscombinations of stepper motors, encoded DC motors, gears, belts,pulleys, worm gears, threads, and so forth. For example, in one aspectthe build platform 102 may be coupled to one or more threaded rods by athreaded nut so that the threaded rods can be rotated to provide z-axispositioning of the build platform 102 relative to the extruder 106. Thisarrangement may advantageously simplify design and improve accuracy bypermitting an x-y positioning mechanism for the extruder 106 to be fixedrelative to a build volume. Any such arrangement suitable forcontrollably positioning the extruder 106 within the working volume 114may be adapted to use with the printer 100 described herein.

In general, this may include moving the extruder 106, or moving thebuild platform 102, or some combination of these. Thus it will beappreciated that any reference to moving an extruder relative to a buildplatform, working volume, or object, is intended to include movement ofthe extruder or movement of the build platform, or both, unless a morespecific meaning is explicitly provided or otherwise clear from thecontext. Still more generally, while an x, y, z coordinate system servesas a convenient basis for positioning within three dimensions, any othercoordinate system or combination of coordinate systems may also orinstead be employed, such as a positional controller and assembly thatoperates according to cylindrical or spherical coordinates.

The controller 110 may be electrically or otherwise coupled in acommunicating relationship with the build platform 102, the x-y-zpositioning assembly 108, and the other various components of theprinter 100. In general, the controller 110 is operable to control thecomponents of the printer 100, such as the build platform 102, the x-y-zpositioning assembly 108, and any other components of the printer 100described herein to fabricate the object 112 from the build material.The controller 110 may include any combination of software and/orprocessing circuitry suitable for controlling the various components ofthe printer 100 described herein including without limitationmicroprocessors, microcontrollers, application-specific integratedcircuits, programmable gate arrays, and any other digital and/or analogcomponents, as well as combinations of the foregoing, along with inputsand outputs for transceiving control signals, drive signals, powersignals, sensor signals, and so forth. In one aspect, this may includecircuitry directly and physically associated with the printer 100 suchas an on-board processor. In another aspect, this may be a processorassociated with a personal computer or other computing device coupled tothe printer 100, e.g., through a wired or wireless connection.Similarly, various functions described herein may be allocated betweenan on-board processor for the printer 100 and a separate computer. Allsuch computing devices and environments are intended to fall within themeaning of the term “controller” or “processor” as used herein, unless adifferent meaning is explicitly provided or otherwise clear from thecontext.

A variety of additional sensors and other components may be usefullyincorporated into the printer 100 described above. These othercomponents are generically depicted as other hardware 134 in FIG. 1, forwhich the positioning and mechanical/electrical interconnections withother elements of the printer 100 will be readily understood andappreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art. The other hardware 134may include a temperature sensor positioned to sense a temperature ofthe surface of the build platform 102, the extruder 126, or any othersystem components. This may, for example, include a thermistor or thelike embedded within or attached below the surface of the build platform102. This may also or instead include an infrared detector or the likedirected at the surface 116 of the build platform 102.

In another aspect, the other hardware 134 may include a sensor to detecta presence of the object 112 at a predetermined location. This mayinclude an optical detector arranged in a beam-breaking configuration tosense the presence of the object 112 at a predetermined location. Thismay also or instead include an imaging device and image processingcircuitry to capture an image of the working volume and to analyze theimage to evaluate a position of the object 112. This sensor may be usedfor example to ensure that the object 112 is removed from the buildplatform 102 prior to beginning a new build on the working surface 116.Thus the sensor may be used to determine whether an object is presentthat should not be, or to detect when an object is absent. The feedbackfrom this sensor may be used by the controller 110 to issue processinginterrupts or otherwise control operation of the printer 100.

The other hardware 134 may also or instead include a heating element(instead of or in addition to the thermal element 130) to heat theworking volume such as a radiant heater or forced hot air heater tomaintain the object 112 at a fixed, elevated temperature throughout abuild, or the other hardware 134 may include a cooling element to coolthe working volume.

FIG. 2 depicts a networked three-dimensional printing environment. Ingeneral, the environment 200 may include a data network 202interconnecting a plurality of participating devices in a communicatingrelationship. The participating devices may, for example, include anynumber of three-dimensional printers 204 (also referred tointerchangeably herein as “printers”), client devices 206, print servers208, content sources 210, mobile devices 212, and other resources 216.

The data network 202 may be any network(s) or internetwork(s) suitablefor communicating data and control information among participants in theenvironment 200. This may include public networks such as the Internet,private networks, telecommunications networks such as the PublicSwitched Telephone Network or cellular networks using third generation(e.g., 3G or IMT-2000), fourth generation (e.g., LTE (E-UTRA) orWiMax-Advanced (IEEE 802.16m)) and/or other technologies, as well as anyof a variety of corporate area or local area networks and otherswitches, routers, hubs, gateways, and the like that might be used tocarry data among participants in the environment 200.

The three-dimensional printers 204 may be any computer-controlleddevices for three-dimensional fabrication, including without limitationany of the three-dimensional printers or other fabrication orprototyping devices described above. In general, each such device mayinclude a network interface comprising, e.g., a network interface card,which term is used broadly herein to include any hardware (along withsoftware, firmware, or the like to control operation of same) suitablefor establishing and maintaining wired and/or wireless communications.The network interface card may include without limitation wired Ethernetnetwork interface cards (“NICs”), wireless 802.11 networking cards,wireless 802.11 USB devices, or other hardware for wireless local areanetworking. The network interface may also or instead include cellularnetwork hardware, wide area wireless network hardware or any otherhardware for centralized, ad hoc, peer-to-peer, or other radiocommunications that might be used to carry data. In another aspect, thenetwork interface may include a serial or USB port to directly connectto a computing device such as a desktop computer that, in turn, providesmore general network connectivity to the data network 202.

The printers 204 might be made to fabricate any object, practical orotherwise, that is amenable to fabrication according to each printer'scapabilities. This may be a model of a house or a tea cup, as depicted,or any other object such as gears or other machine hardware,replications of scanned three-dimensional objects, or fanciful works ofart.

Client devices 206 may be any devices within the environment 200operated by users to initiate, manage, monitor, or otherwise interactwith print jobs at the three-dimensional printers 204. This may includedesktop computers, laptop computers, network computers, tablets, or anyother computing device that can participate in the environment 200 ascontemplated herein. Each client device 206 generally provides a userinterface, which may include a graphical user interface, a text orcommand line interface, a voice-controlled interface, and/or agesture-based interface to control operation of remote three-dimensionalprinters 204. The user interface may be maintained by a locallyexecuting application on one of the client devices 206 that receivesdata and status information from, e.g., the printers 204 and printservers 208 concerning pending or executing print jobs. The userinterface may create a suitable display on the client device 206 foruser interaction. In other embodiments, the user interface may beremotely served and presented on one of the client devices 206, such aswhere a print server 208 or one of the three-dimensional printers 204includes a web server that provides information through one or more webpages or the like that can be displayed within a web browser or similarclient executing on one of the client devices 206. In one aspect, theuser interface may include a voice controlled interface that receivesspoken commands from a user and/or provides spoken feedback to the user.

A client device 206 may, for example include a removable memory device207 such as a USB drive, memory stick, or the like, which may be usedfor example to transfer digital models of three-dimensional objects toprinters 204.

The print servers 208 may include data storage, a network interface, anda processor and/or other processing circuitry. In the followingdescription, where the functions or configuration of a print server 208are described, this is intended to include corresponding functions orconfiguration (e.g., by programming) of a processor of the print server208. In general, the print servers 208 (or processors thereof) mayperform a variety of processing tasks related to management of networkedprinting. For example, the print servers 208 may manage print jobsreceived from one or more of the client devices 206, and provide relatedsupporting functions such as content search and management. A printserver 208 may also include a web server that provides web-based accessby the client devices 206 to the capabilities of the print server 208. Aprint server 208 may also communicate periodically withthree-dimensional printers 204 in order to obtain status informationconcerning, e.g., availability of printers and/or the status ofparticular print jobs, any of which may be subsequently presented to auser through the web server or any other suitable interface. A printserver 208 may also maintain a list of available three-dimensionalprinters 204, and may automatically select one of the three-dimensionalprinters 204 for a user-submitted print job, or may permit a user tospecify a single printer, or a group of preferred printers, forfabricating an object. Where the print server 208 selects the printerautomatically, any number of criteria may be used such as geographicalproximity, printing capabilities, current print queue, fees (if any) foruse of a particular three-dimensional printer 204, and so forth. Wherethe user specifies criteria, this may similarly include any relevantaspects of three-dimensional printers 204, and may permit use ofabsolute criteria (e.g., filters) or preferences, which may be weightedpreferences or unweighted preferences, any of which may be used by aprint server 208 to allocate a print job to a suitable resource.

In one aspect, the print server 208 may be configured to supportinteractive voice control of one of the printers 204. For example, theprint server 208 may be configured to receive a voice signal (e.g., indigitized audio form) from a microphone or other audio input of theprinter 204, and to process the voice signal to extract relevant contentsuch as a command for the printer. Where the command is recognized as aprint command, the voice signal may be further processed to extractadditional context or relevant details. For example, the voice signalmay be processed to extract an object identifier that specifies anobject for printing, e.g., by filename, file metadata, or semanticcontent. The voice signal may also be processed to extract a dimensionalspecification, such as a scale or absolute dimension for an object. Theprint server 208 may then generate suitable control signals for returnto the printer 204 to cause the printer 204 to fabricate the object.Where an error or omission is detected, the print server 208 may returna request for clarification to the printer 204, which may render therequest in spoken form through a speaker, or within a user interface ofthe printer 204 or an associated device.

Other user preferences may be usefully stored at the print server 208 tofacilitate autonomous, unsupervised fabrication of content from contentsources 210. For example, a print server 208 may store a user'spreference on handling objects greater than a build volume of a printer.These preferences may control whether to resize the object, whether tobreak the object into multiple sub-objects for fabrication, and whetherto transmit multiple sub-objects to a single printer or multipleprinters. In addition, user preferences or requirements may be stored,such as multi-color printing capability, build material options andcapabilities, and so forth. More generally, a print queue (which may bea printer-specific or user-specific queue, and which may be hosted at aprinter 204, a server 208, or some combination of these) may be managedby a print server 208 according to one or more criteria from a remoteuser requesting a print job. The print server 208 may also store userpreferences or criteria for filtering content, e.g., for automaticprinting or other handling. While this is described below as a featurefor autonomous operation of a printer (such as a printer that locallysubscribes to a syndicated model source), any criteria that can be usedto identify models of potential interest by explicit type (e.g., labeledin model metadata), implicit type (e.g., determined based on analysis ofthe model), source, and so forth, may be provided to the print server208 and used to automatically direct new content to one or moreuser-specified ones of the three-dimensional printers 204.

In one aspect, the processor of the print server may be configured tostore a plurality of print jobs submitted to the web server in a log andto provide an analysis of print activity based on the log. This mayinclude any type of analysis that might be useful to participants in theenvironment 200. For example, the analysis may include tracking of thepopularity of particular objects, or of particular content sources. Theanalysis may include tracking of which three-dimensional printers 204are most popular or least popular, or related statistics such as theaverage backlog of pending print jobs at a number of thethree-dimensional printers 204. The analysis may include success of aparticular printer in fabricating a particular model, or of a particularprinter in completing print jobs generally. More generally, anystatistics or data may be obtained, and any analysis may be performed,that might be useful to users (e.g., when requesting prints), contentsources (e.g., when choosing new printable objects for publication),providers of fabrication resources (e.g., when setting fees), or networkfacilitators such as the print servers 208.

A print server 208 may also maintain a database 209 of content, alongwith an interface for users at client devices 206 to search the database209 and request fabrication of objects in the database 209 using any ofthe three-dimensional printers 204. Thus in one aspect, a print server208 (or any system including the print server 208) may include adatabase 209 of three-dimensional models, and the print server 208 mayact as a server that provides a search engine for locating a particularthree-dimensional model in the database 209. The search engine may be atext-based search engine using keyword text queries, plain languagequeries, and so forth. The search engine may also or instead include animage-based search engine configured to identify three-dimensionalmodels similar to a two-dimensional or three-dimensional image provideby a user.

In another aspect, the printer server 208 may periodically search forsuitable content at remote locations on the data network, which contentmay be retrieved to the database 209, or have its remote location (e.g.,a URL or other network location identifier) stored in the database 209.In another aspect, the print server 208 may provide an interface forsubmission of objects from remote users, along with any suitablemetadata such as a title, tags, creator information, descriptivenarrative, pictures, recommended printer settings, and so forth. In oneaspect, the database 209 may be manually curated according to anydesired standards. In another aspect, printable objects in the database209 may be manually or automatically annotated according to contenttype, popularity, editorial commentary, and so forth.

The print server 208 may more generally provide a variety of managementfunctions. For example, the print server 204 may store a location of apredetermined alternative three-dimensional printer to execute a printjob from a remote user in the event of a failure by the one of theplurality of three-dimensional printers 204. In another aspect, theprint server 208 may maintain exclusive control over at least one of theplurality of three-dimensional printers 204, such that other usersand/or print servers cannot control the printer. In another aspect, theprint server 208 may submit a print job to a first available one of theplurality of three-dimensional printers 204.

In another aspect, a print server 208 may provide an interface formanaging subscriptions to sources of content. This may include tools forsearching existing subscriptions, locating or specifying new sources,subscribing to sources of content, and so forth. In one aspect, a printserver 208 may manage subscriptions and automatically direct new contentfrom these subscriptions to a three-dimensional printer 204 according toany user-specified criteria. Thus while it is contemplated that athree-dimensional printer 204 may autonomously subscribe to sources ofcontent through a network interface and receive new content directlyfrom such sources, it is also contemplated that this feature may bemaintained through a remote resource such as a print server 208.

A print server 208 may maintain print queues for participatingthree-dimensional printers 204. This approach may advantageouslyalleviate backlogs at individual printers 204, which may have limitedmemory capacity for pending print jobs. More generally, a print server208 may, by communicating with multiple three-dimensional printers 204,obtain a view of utilization of multiple networked resources thatpermits a more efficient allocation of print jobs than would be possiblethrough simple point-to-point communications among users and printers.Print queues may also be published by a print server 208 so that userscan view pending queues for a variety of different three-dimensionalprinters 204 prior to selecting a resource for a print job. In oneaspect, the print queue may be published as a number of print jobs andsize of print jobs so that a requester can evaluate likely delays. Inanother aspect, the print queue may be published as an estimated timeuntil a newly submitted print job can be initiated.

In one aspect, the print queue of one of the print servers 208 mayinclude one or more print jobs for one of the plurality ofthree-dimensional printers 204. The print queue may be stored locally atthe one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers. In anotheraspect, the print queue may be allocated between the database 209 and alocal memory of the three-dimensional printer 204. In another aspect,the print queue may be stored, for example, in the database 209 of theprint server 208. As used here, the term ‘print queue’ is intended toinclude print data (e.g., the three-dimensional model or toolinstructions to fabricate an object) for a number of print job (whichmay be arranged for presentation in order of expected execution), aswell as any metadata concerning print jobs. Thus, a portion of the printqueue such as the metadata (e.g., size, status, time to completion) maybe usefully communicated to a print server 208 for sharing among userswhile another portion of the print queue such as the model data may bestored at a printer in preparation for execution of a print job.

Print queues may implement various user preferences on prioritization.For example, for a commercial enterprise, longer print jobs may bedeferred for after normal hours of operation (e.g., after 5:00 p.m.),while shorter print jobs may be executed first if they can be completedbefore the end of a business day. In this manner, objects can beidentified and fabricated from within the print queue in a manner thatpermits as many objects as possible to be fabricated before apredetermined closing time. Similarly, commercial providers offabrication services may charge explicitly for prioritized fabrication,and implement this prioritization by prioritizing print queues in acorresponding fashion.

In another aspect, a print server 208 may provide a virtual workspacefor a user. In this virtual workspace, a user may search local or remotedatabases of printable objects, save objects of interest (or linksthereto), manage pending prints, specify preferences for receivingstatus updates (e.g., by electronic mail or SMS text), managesubscriptions to content, search for new subscription sources, and soforth. In one aspect, the virtual workspace may be, or may include,web-based design tools or a web-based design interface that permits auser to create and modify models. In one aspect, the virtual workspacemay be deployed on the web, while permitting direct fabrication of amodel developed within that environment on a user-specified one of thethree-dimensional printers 204, thus enabling a web-based designenvironment that is directly coupled to one or more fabricationresources.

The content sources 210 may include any sources of content forfabrication with a three-dimensional printer 204. This may, for example,include databases of objects accessible through a web interface orapplication programming interface. This may also or instead includeindividual desktop computers or the like configured as a server forhosted access, or configured to operate as a peer in a peer-to-peernetwork. This may also or instead include content subscription services,which may be made available in an unrestricted fashion, or may be madeavailable on a paid subscription basis, or on an authenticated basisbased upon some other relationship (e.g., purchase of a related productor a ticket to an event). It will be readily appreciated that any numberof content providers may serve as content sources 210 as contemplatedherein. By way of non-limiting example, the content sources 210 mayinclude destinations such as amusement parks, museums, theaters,performance venues, or the like, any of which may provide contentrelated to users who purchase tickets. The content sources 210 mayinclude manufacturers such as automobile, computer, consumerelectronics, or home appliance manufacturers, any of which may providecontent related to upgrades, maintenance, repair, or other support ofexisting products that have been purchased. The content sources 210 mayinclude artists or other creative enterprises that sell various works ofinterest. The content sources 210 may include engineering orarchitectural firms that provide marketing or advertising pieces toexisting or prospective customers. The content sources 210 may includemarketing or advertising firms that provide promotional items forclients. More generally, the content sources 210 may be any individualor enterprise that provides single or serial objects for fabrication bythe three-dimensional printers 204 described herein.

One or more web servers 211 may provide web-based access to and from anyof the other participants in the environment 200. While depicted as aseparate network entity, it will be readily appreciated that a webserver 211 may be logically or physically associated with one of theother devices described herein, and may, for example, provide a userinterface for web access to one of the three-dimensional printers 204,one of the print servers 208 (or databases 209 coupled thereto), one ofthe content sources 210, or any of the other resources 216 describedbelow in a manner that permits user interaction through the data network202, e.g., from a client device 206 or mobile device 212.

The mobile devices 212 may be any form of mobile device, such as anywireless, battery-powered device, that might be used to interact withthe networked printing environment 200. The mobile devices 212 may, forexample, include laptop computers, tablets, thin client networkcomputers, portable digital assistants, messaging devices, cellularphones, smart phones, portable media or entertainment devices, and soforth. In general, mobile devices 212 may be operated by users for avariety of user-oriented functions such as to locate printable objects,to submit objects for printing, to monitor a personally owned printer,and/or to monitor a pending print job. A mobile device 212 may includelocation awareness technology such as Global Positioning System (“GPS”),which may obtain information that can be usefully integrated into aprinting operation in a variety of ways. For example, a user may selectan object for printing and submit a model of the object to a printserver, such as any of the print servers described above. The printserver may determine a location of the mobile device 212 initiating theprint job and locate a closest printer for fabrication of the object.

In another aspect, a printing function may be location-based, using theGPS input (or cellular network triangulation, proximity detection, orany other suitable location detection techniques). For example, a usermay be authorized to print a model only when the user is near a location(e.g., within a geo-fenced area or otherwise proximal to a location), oronly after a user has visited a location. Thus a user may be providedwith printable content based upon locations that the user has visited,or while within a certain venue such as an amusement park, museum,theater, sports arena, hotel, or the like. Similarly, a matrix barcodesuch as a QR code may be employed for localization.

The other resources 216 may include any other software or hardwareresources that may be usefully employed in networked printingapplications as contemplated herein. For example, the other resources216 may include payment processing servers or platforms used toauthorize payment for content subscriptions, content purchases, orprinting resources. As another example, the other resources 216 mayinclude social networking platforms that may be used, e.g., to sharethree-dimensional models and/or fabrication results according to auser's social graph. In another aspect, the other resources 216 mayinclude certificate servers or other security resources for third partyverification of identity, encryption or decryption of three-dimensionalmodels, and so forth. In another aspect, the other resources 216 mayinclude online tools for three-dimensional design or modeling, as wellas databases of objects, surface textures, build supplies, and so forth.In another aspect, the other resources 216 may include a desktopcomputer or the like co-located (e.g., on the same local area networkwith, or directly coupled to through a serial or USB cable) with one ofthe three-dimensional printers 204. In this case, the other resource 216may provide supplemental functions for the three-dimensional printer 204in a networked printing context such as maintaining a print queue oroperating a web server for remote interaction with the three-dimensionalprinter 204. Other resources 216 also include supplemental resourcessuch as three-dimensional scanners, cameras, andpost-processing/finishing machines or resources. More generally, anyresource that might be usefully integrated into a networked printingenvironment may be one of the resources 216 as contemplated herein.

It will be readily appreciated that the various components of thenetworked printing environment 200 described above may be arranged andconfigured to support networked printing in a variety of ways. Forexample, in one aspect there is disclosed herein a networked computerwith a print server and a web interface to support networkedthree-dimensional printing. This device may include a print server, adatabase, and a web server as discussed above. The print server may becoupled through a data network to a plurality of three-dimensionalprinters and configured to receive status information from one or moresensors for each one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers. Theprint server may be further configured to manage a print queue for eachone of the plurality of three-dimensional printers. The database may becoupled in a communicating relationship with the print server andconfigured to store print queue data and status information for each oneof the plurality of three-dimensional printers. The web server may beconfigured to provide a user interface over the data network to a remoteuser, the user interface adapted to present the status information andthe print queue data for one or more of the plurality ofthree-dimensional printers to the user and the user interface adapted toreceive a print job from the remote user for one of the plurality ofthree-dimensional printers.

The three-dimensional printer 204 described above may be configured toautonomously subscribe to syndicated content sources and periodicallyreceive and print objects from those sources. Thus in one aspect thereis disclosed herein a device including any of the three-dimensionalprinters described above; a network interface; and a processor (whichmay without limitation include the controller for the printer). Theprocessor may be configured to subscribe to a plurality of sources ofcontent (such as the content sources 210 described above) selected by auser for fabrication by the three-dimensional printer through thenetwork interface. The processor may be further configured to receiveone or more three-dimensional models from the plurality of contentsources 210, and to select one of the one or more three-dimensionalmodels for fabrication by the three-dimensional printer 204 according toa user preference for prioritization. The user preference may, forexample, preferentially prioritize particular content sources 210, orparticular types of content (e.g., tools, games, artwork, upgrade parts,or content related to a particular interest of the user).

The memory of a three-dimensional printer 204 may be configured to storea queue of one or more additional three-dimensional models not selectedfor immediate fabrication. The processor may be programmed toperiodically re-order or otherwise alter the queue according topre-determined criteria or manual user input. For example, the processormay be configured to evaluate a new three-dimensional model based upon auser preference for prioritization, and to place the newthree-dimensional model at a corresponding position in the queue. Theprocessor may also or instead be configured to retrieve content from oneof the content sources 210 by providing authorization credentials forthe user, which may be stored at the three-dimensional printer orotherwise accessible for presentation to the content source 210. Theprocessor may be configured to retrieve content from at least one of theplurality of content sources 210 by authorizing a payment from the userto a content provider. The processor may be configured to search asecond group of sources of content (such as any of the content sources210 described above) according to one or more search criteria provide bya user. This may also or instead include demographic information for theuser, contextual information for the user, or any other implicit orexplicit user information.

In another aspect, there is disclosed herein a system for managingsubscriptions to three-dimensional content sources such as any of thecontent sources 210 described above. The system may include a web serverconfigured to provide a user interface over a data network, which userinterface is adapted to receive user preferences from a user including asubscription to a plurality of sources of a plurality ofthree-dimensional models, a prioritization of content from the pluralityof sources, and an identification of one or more fabrication resourcescoupled to the data network and suitable for fabricating objects fromthe plurality of three-dimensional models. The system may also include adatabase to store the user preferences, and to receive and store theplurality of three-dimensional models as they are issued by theplurality of sources. The system may include a processor (e.g., of aprint server 208, or alternatively of a client device 206 interactingwith the print server 208) configured to select one of the plurality ofthree-dimensional models for fabrication based upon the prioritization.The system may include a print server configured to communicate with theone or more fabrication resources through the data network, to determinean availability of the one or more fabrication resources, and totransmit the selected one of the plurality of three-dimensional modelsto one of the one or more fabrication resources.

In another aspect, there is disclosed herein a network ofthree-dimensional printing resources comprising a plurality ofthree-dimensional printers, each one of the plurality ofthree-dimensional printers including a network interface; a serverconfigured to manage execution of a plurality of print jobs by theplurality of three-dimensional printers; and a data network that couplesthe server and the plurality of three-dimensional printers in acommunicating relationship.

In general as described above, the server may include a web-based userinterface configured for a user to submit a new print job to the serverand to monitor progress of the new print job. The web-based userinterface may permit video monitoring of each one of the plurality ofthree-dimensional printers, or otherwise provide information useful to aremote user including image-based, simulation-based, textual-based orother information concerning status of a current print. The web-baseduser interface may include voice input and/or output for network-basedvoice control of a printer.

The fabrication resources may, for example, include any of thethree-dimensional printers 204 described above. One or more of thefabrication resources may be a private fabrication resource secured witha credential-based access system. The user may provide, as a userpreference and prior to use of the private fabrication resource,credentials for accessing the private fabrication resource. In anotheraspect, the one or more fabrication resources may include a commercialfabrication resource. In this case the user may provide an authorizationto pay for use of the commercial fabrication resource in the form of auser preference prior to use of the commercial fabrication resource.

Many current three-dimensional printers require significantmanufacturing time to fabricate an object. At the same time, certainprinters may include a tool or system to enable multiple, sequentialobject prints without human supervision or intervention, such as aconveyor belt. In this context, prioritizing content may be particularlyimportant to prevent crowding out of limited fabrication resources withlow priority content that arrives periodically for autonomousfabrication. As a significant advantage, the systems and methodsdescribed herein permit prioritization using a variety of user-specifiedcriteria, and permit use of multiple fabrication resources inappropriate circumstances. Thus prioritizing content as contemplatedherein may include any useful form of prioritization. For example, thismay include prioritizing the content according to source. The contentsources 210 may have an explicit type that specifies the nature of thesource (e.g., commercial or paid content, promotional content, productsupport content, non-commercial) or the type of content provided (e.g.,automotive, consumer electronics, radio control hobbyist, contestprizes, and so forth). Prioritizing content may include prioritizing thecontent according to this type. The three-dimensional models themselvesmay also or instead include a type (e.g., tool, game, home, art,jewelry, replacement part, upgrade part, etc.) or any other metadata,and prioritizing the content may includes prioritizing the contentaccording to this type and/or metadata.

In one aspect, the processor may be configured to select two or more ofthe plurality of three-dimensional models for concurrent fabrication bytwo or more of the plurality of fabrication resources based upon theprioritization when a priority of the two or more of the plurality ofthree-dimensional models exceeds a predetermined threshold. That is,where particular models individually have a priority above thepredetermined threshold, multiple fabrication resources may be locatedand employed to fabricate these models concurrently. The predeterminedthreshold may be evaluated for each model individually, or for all ofthe models collectively such as on an aggregate or average basis.

In one aspect, the processor may be configured to adjust prioritizationbased upon a history of fabrication when a number of objects fabricatedfrom one of the plurality of sources exceeds a predetermined threshold.Thus, for example, a user may limit the number of objects fabricatedfrom a particular source, giving subsequent priority to content fromother sources regardless of an objectively determined priority for a newobject from the particular source. This prevents a single source fromoverwhelming a single fabrication resource, such as a personalthree-dimensional printer operated by the user, in a manner that crowdsout other content from other sources of possible interest. At the sametime, this may enable content sources 210 to publish on any convenientschedule, without regard to whether and how subscribers will be able tofabricate objects.

In another aspect, the processor may be configured to identify one ormore additional sources of content based upon a similarity to one of theplurality of sources of content. For example, where a content source 210is an automotive manufacturer, the processor may perform a search forother automotive manufactures, related parts suppliers, mechanics, andso forth. The processor may also or instead be configured to identifyone or more additional sources of content based upon a social graph ofthe user. This may, for example, include analyzing a social graph ofrelationships from the user to identify groups with common interests,shared professions, a shared history of schools or places of employment,or a common current or previous residence location, any of which may beused to locate other sources of content that may be of interest to theuser.

FIG. 3 shows a data structure for use with machine-ready models. Ingeneral, the server described above may be adapted to provide convenientuser access to machine-ready models for fabrication, such as byproviding one-click downloading or printing of remotely stored,printable content. In order to facilitate these user interactions,three-dimensional models may be processed in a manner that permitsconvenient retrieval of relevant data on a user-by-user orprinter-by-printer basis.

In general, a model source 302 such as a user may provide athree-dimensional model 304 of an object, for example over a network toa server such as any of the servers described above. The model source302 may also or instead include a digital scanner or other device thatautomatically forwards models to the server. In general, thethree-dimensional model 304 may be any suitable digital representationof a three-dimensional shape, such as a computer-automated design (CAD)model, a stereolithography (STL) file, a 3DS file, a DEM file, a COLLADAfile, or any other such file. The server may store the three-dimensionaldigital model 304 in a database such as any of the databases describedabove.

The data structure 300 may include an identifier 306 such as a title orunique numerical identifier, e.g., for purposes of location,identification, or indexing in a database. The identifier 306 may beautomatically created for the three-dimensional model 304 when it isreceived by the server.

The data structure 300 may include metadata 306 such as any descriptiveinformation for the object that is characterized by the digitalthree-dimensional model 304. For example, the metadata 306 may includeinformation provided by the model source 302 such as a title, author,creation date, propriety rights management information, descriptivetext, and so forth. Where the model source 302 is an automated modelsource such as a three-dimensional scanner, the metadata 306 may also orinstead identify a scanner time, time and date of a scan, scanningparameters (where applicable), scanner location, and so forth. Metadata306 may also or instead be provided from other sources. For example, theserver (or some other remote resource) may track downloads and prints ofan object, and may log this information in the metadata 304 as usagestatistics covering, e.g., number of downloads, popularity, buildresults, and so forth. Thus in general the metadata 306 may includedescriptive data from any of a variety of sources such as a computerrendering of an object, a photograph of an object, an author comment foran object, a number of downloads for an object (or a specificmachine-ready model of the object), a category tag for an object, or apopularity rating for an object. Where the metadata 306 includes thenumber of downloads for the object, the number of downloads may befurther subcategorized to include a number of downloads for each one ofthe machine-ready models for the object.

The server may include an analysis engine 310 that processes athree-dimensional model 304 when it is received by the server. This may,for example, include processing the model 304 and metadata 308 from theuser to create additional metadata 308 concerning the model 304. Forexample, the analysis engine 310 may generate useful metadata concerningthe size, printability, build material requirements, and so forth forthe object based upon any suitable set of rules and populate themetadata 308 with results. Similarly, the analysis engine 310 may createa snapshot or other rendering of the object (based upon the model 304)that may be stored in the metadata 308 for use, e.g., in a userinterface when browsing models in a database for the data structure 300.

The server may include a slicing engine 312 that prepares machine-readymodels 314 of the object that is described by the three-dimensionalmodel 304. This may, for example be g-code, which is commonly used forthree-dimensional printers, or any other suitable printer-executabledescription of the object based upon the three-dimensional model 304. Itwill be understood that a variety of different three-dimensionalprinters are commercially available. Thus, the machine-ready models 314may include models for different manufacturers of three-dimensionalprinters, and/or for different models of printers from a singlemanufacturer.

This may include models for different printing technologies. Forexample, the types of three-dimensional printers covered by themachine-ready models 314 may include printers using any number ofprinting technologies such as jet printing, stereolithography, fuseddeposition modeling, layered object manufacturing, and selective lasersintering. Each such printing technology generally uses a differentunderlying technique for fabricating three-dimensional objects, thusrequiring sometimes very different machine-ready models.

Additionally, certain printers may have optional features useful inprinting such as a heated build platform or a conveyor or the like toremove objects from a build volume. These may be provided as optionsfrom a commercial manufacturer, or these may be custom-made by endusers. Thus the configuration for a three-dimensional printer mayinclude one or more hardware components such as a display, a heatedbuild platform, a camera, a conveyor or a color-mixing system. Eachprinter may thus nominally have different slicing rules for creating amachine-ready model 314, and the slicing engine 312 may produce anynumber of corresponding machine-ready models 314 for an object.

In one aspect, this may include machine-ready models 314 that arerequired for different printers that do not have interoperable machinecoding, that is, for which a machine-ready model on one printer will notrender properly on another printer. In another aspect, this may includemachine-ready models 314 that accommodate a variety of possible userpreferences concerning, e.g., print resolution, size, infilling density,rafting or support structures, and so forth. This may also or insteadinclude machine-ready models 314 for various optional printer featuressuch as build volume temperature control, a heated build platform, aconveyor to remove objects from a build volume, and so forth. As anotherexample, where a three-dimensional printer has a camera or the like, acorresponding machine-ready model 314 may enable the camera for remoteviewing during a build. As another example, a printer may havecolor-mixing capabilities or an ability to select among various,different build materials either at the beginning of a build or during abuild. These types of variations may in general be accommodated amongthe machine-ready models 314 at any desired level of granularityaccording to, e.g., the data storage and processing capabilities of thedatabase and server being used.

A verification engine 316 may also be included to verify the suitabilityof machine-ready models 314 for fabrication on an intended device. Thismay, for example, include computer-based verification such as arules-based verification of compliance with any number of build rulescovering, e.g., overhangs, support, size, and so forth. In anotheraspect, a machine-ready model may be manually verified by fabricatingthe model with a printer and having a user confirm that the build issuccessful. In one aspect, this manual verification may be performedselectively, e.g., for popular printer types, and each machine-readymodel 314 may be annotated in the metadata 308 or within the model 314to indicate whether it has been successfully fabricated.

FIG. 4 shows a server configured to provide machine-ready models ofthree-dimensional objects. The server 400 may include a database 402that stores a data structure such as the data structure 300 describedwith reference to FIG. 3 for a number of machine-ready models adaptedfor one of a number of types of three-dimensional printers each having apredetermined configuration. The server 400 may be coupled to thedatabase and coupled in a communicating relationship with a data network404. The server 400 may be configured to respond to a request from aclient 406 for the object by selecting one of the machine-ready modelscorresponding to a three-dimensional printer associated with the clientand transmitting the one of the machine-ready models to the client 406.The client 406 may be a three-dimensional printer with networkcapabilities, or the client 406 may be another computing device such asa desktop computer, laptop computer, or tablet locally coupled to thethree-dimensional printer.

The server 400 may be a web server that is configured to select andtransmit a machine-ready model in response to a single action from theclient 406. In general, the server may provide a user interface 408 forbrowsing among objects stored in the database. The single-actionresponse may be realized, e.g., with a control 410 such as a button inthe user interface 408 that permits a user with a single mouse click orother action to download a model, or to send the model directly to athree-dimensional printer. A confirmation step may optionally beincluded, which may be viewed as a confirmation of the single-clickoperation or as a second step in a user-initiated download or print. Inorder to facilitate a single-action response in this manner, the server400 may detect a type of three-dimensional printer associated with theclient 406 in any of a number of ways. For example, if the client 406 isa three-dimensional printer, the client 406 may self-identify a typefrom local version information. Similarly, if the client 406 is adesktop computer or other computing device locally coupled to thethree-dimensional printer, the client 406 may retrieve type informationfrom the three-dimensional printer and provide this information to theserver. In another aspect, a user of the client 406 may manuallyidentify a type of three-dimensional printer and/or specificcapabilities of the three-dimensional printer. Similarly, if the server400 is unable to determine a type of three-dimensional printer for theclient 406, the server 400 may specifically request this information inthe user interface 408.

In another aspect, the client 406 may interact with the server 400 in anauthenticated session where a user of the client provides logininformation. The server 400 may store an association of the user with aparticular printer or type of printer, and the server 400 may use thisserver-side data to determine an association of the user or the client406 with a particular type of three-dimensional printer for the purposesof selecting a machine-ready model responsive to the user action. Wherea client 406 selects a machine-ready model for download, the client 406may be configured to automatically store the machine-ready model on aremovable memory device 412 locally coupled to the client, such as a USBdrive or memory stick.

As described above, the server 400 may be configured to receive adigital model of an object through the data network, and to create anumber of machine-ready models for storage in the database 402. Thedatabase 402 may store any number of machine-ready models for any numberof objects, and the server 400 may provide the user interface 408, e.g.,in a web browser, for browsing or searching objects and selecting anobject (or a specific machine-ready model) for download.

In one aspect, the server 400 and database 402 may use a one-to-onemapping of machine-ready models to printer types so that a single modelis deterministically selected for a three-dimensional printer. In thiscase, where no corresponding machine-ready model is available for thespecific type of three-dimensional printer, the request from the client406 for a download or print may be denied by the server 400. In anotheraspect, the server 400 may include a selection engine 416 for morenuanced selections of suitable models. For example, when two or more ofthe machine-ready models are suitable for the three-dimensional printerassociated with the client 406, the selection engine 416 may select oneof the two or more machine-ready models in the database 402 according toa predetermined criterion and transmit the one of the two or moremachine-ready models to the client. This may be a criterion based onmachine capabilities. For example, if a three-dimensional printer caninterpret and execute g-code, the selection engine 416 may select one ormore models represented in g-code. Similarly, if a three-dimensionalprinter uses a certain type of build material (e.g., PLA or ABS), thismay impose practical limits on aspects of a model such as where supportstructures are needed for overhangs or whether a raft or other substrateshould be printed. As such, the selection engine 416 may select one ormore models most suited to that type of build material. This may also orinstead include a user-based criterion such as print resolution, minimumfeature sizes, and so forth.

The server may include a modification engine 414 configured to modify aselected one of the machine-ready models according to specificconfiguration information for the three-dimensional printer associatedwith the client 406. The modification engine 414 may in general be usedto modify a pre-existing machine-ready model in the database 402 as analternative to storing multiple machine-ready models with minorvariations. For example, if the three-dimensional printer includes aconveyor or other hardware to automatically remove a completed objectfrom a build volume, the modification engine 414 may add correspondinginstructions to the machine-ready code delivered to the client 406 forexecution on the three-dimensional printer. Similarly, if thethree-dimensional printer has multi-color printing capability and themodel includes multi-color information (such as a texture map of surfacecolors), the modification engine 414 may include suitable color changeinstructions in the machine-ready code. This may also includesoftware-enabled features such as firmware upgrades or the like, and theserver 400 may detect such software-enabled features and whereappropriate make modifications to the machine-ready code with themodification engine 414. While certain capabilities or features mayrequire an entirely different machine-ready model, other features may beaccommodated with the simple addition or removal of a few lines ofmachine-ready code. In the latter context, the modification engine 414may usefully reduce the number of machine-ready models required for awide range of printer configurations and capabilities.

In one aspect, the server 400 may be configured to automaticallydetermine when a request to fabricate a machine-ready model should beredirected to a second three-dimensional printer. For example, thecontrol 410 of the user interface may include a “print now” button orthe like that automatically transmits a machine-ready model to theclient 406 for immediate fabrication. If the three-dimensional printerassociated with the client 406 is unavailable or is providing an errormessage or the like, the server 400 may detect this and select anotherthree-dimensional printer to immediately fabricate the machine-readymodel. However, the machine-ready model selected for the client 406 maybe unsuitable for this second three-dimensional printer, so the server400 may repeat the process of selecting an appropriate machine-readymodel for the second three-dimensional printer. The server 400 may beconfigured to perform other related functions such as managing a printqueue for the three-dimensional printer and the second three-dimensionalprinter, or more generally managing a print queue for the client 406.

FIG. 5 shows a method for providing machine-ready models ofthree-dimensional objects.

As shown in step 502, the method 500 may include receiving a digitalmodel of an object through a data network.

As shown in step 504, the method 500 may include creating a plurality ofmachine-ready models based upon the digital model. This may includemachine-ready models for a variety of types of three-dimensionalprinters and/or hardware configurations as discussed above. The types ofthree-dimensional printers may include different printers from a singlemanufacturer, or printers from different manufacturers. The types ofthree-dimensional printers may also or instead include printers usingvarious printing technologies such as jet printing, stereolithography,fused deposition modeling, layered object manufacturing, and selectivelaser sintering. A predetermined configuration for one of the types ofthree-dimensional printers may also include one or more hardwarecomponents of the three-dimensional printer such as a display, a heatedbuild platform, a camera, a conveyor, a color-mixer, or other optionalhardware component, any of which may require specialized machine codefor use in fabricating a model. In general the number of machine-readymodels may be any number of machine-ready models according to the numberand type of printers desired to be covered, the storage or processingcapabilities of the system, the degree of granularity desired forvarying hardware configurations, or any other factors.

As shown in step 506, the method 500 may include verifying aprintability of each one of the machine-ready models on a correspondingone of the types of three-dimensional printers. As described above, thismay include manual verification by attempting fabrication on eachcorresponding type of three-dimensional printer, or this may includeautomated verification using a rules-based verification process or anyother suitable technique(s).

As shown in step 508, the method 500 may include storing themachine-ready models of the object in a database 512, were each one ofthe machine-ready models is adapted for a type of three-dimensionalprinter having a predetermined configuration.

As shown in step 510, the method 500 may include storing metadata forthe object that is the subject of the models. This may include metadatareceived from a source of the underlying three-dimensional model ormetadata created by a server or the like that receives thethree-dimensional model. The metadata may include a computer renderingof the object, a photograph of the object, an author comment for theobject, a number of downloads or prints for the object, a category tagfor the object, and a popularity rating for the object. Where themetadata includes a number of downloads or prints, this may be furthersub-categorized to include the number of downloads or prints for eachone of the machine-ready models for the object.

The above steps may be repeated for any number of times for any numberof objects to create the database 512. It will be understood that themethod may be performed in parallel for any number of simultaneoususers, and that steps such as creating individual machine-ready modelsmay be readily parallelized for greater performance. Other steps suchverifying models and creating/storing metadata may be performed in anyorder or with any priority suitable to anticipated use of the system.

Once the database 512 has been populated with machine-ready models, thedatabase 512 may be provided as a web-accessible resource for remoteclients to retrieve machine-ready models for specific three-dimensionalprinters.

As shown in step 514, the method 500 may include receiving a requestfrom a client for an object through a data network. It will beunderstood that the term “object” as used herein is intended to refer toa three-dimensional object characterized by a three-dimensional model.For the purposes of this disclosure it does not matter whether theclient request is for the object (e.g. “lamp”) or for a machine-readymodel that may be used to fabricate the object, as either request willbe transferred to a server or similar resource in a machine-readableform that can result in the appropriate model being returned to theclient. Thus these terms are in a certain sense interchangeable, unlessa more specific meaning is explicitly provided or otherwise clear fromthe context, such as where a client makes a request for a specific oneof a number of machine-ready models.

The request from the client may include a single action from the clientin a web page served by a web server to the client, such as a singlemouse click of a button or other similar action. As noted above,receiving a request from a client may include providing a user interfacethrough a data network for the client to browse a plurality of objectsand to select one of the plurality of objects for fabrication.

As shown in step 516, the method 500 may include identifying athree-dimensional printer associated with the client. This may be basedon information passed to the server in a client request, such asinformation obtained from a memory of the client, information obtainedfrom a memory of an associated three-dimensional printer, or informationmanually provided by a user at the client. This may also or insteadinclude information retrieved by the server based upon an identity ofthe user or the client.

As shown in step 518, the method 500 may include selecting one of themachine-ready models corresponding to the three-dimensional printerassociated with the client. The corresponding model may be located inand retrieved from the database 512. When two or more of themachine-ready models are suitable for the three-dimensional printerassociated with the client, this may further include selecting onemachine-ready models according to a predetermined criterion, such aswith the selection engine described above.

As shown in step 519, the method may include modifying a selectedmachine-ready model according to specific configuration information forthe three-dimensional printer associated with the client. This may, forexample, include any of the modification techniques described above withreference to the modification engine of FIG. 4.

As shown in step 520, the method 500 may include transmitting theselected machine-ready model to the client through the data network. Inone aspect, the client may be a network-enabled three-dimensionalprinter that serves as a client device to directly receive machine-readymodels for fabrication. In another aspect, the client may be a computingdevice such as a desktop, laptop or tablet locally coupled in acommunicating relationship with the three-dimensional printer.

As shown in step 522, the method 500 may include transmitting themachine-ready model from the client to the three-dimensional printer forfabrication. The client may also be configured to automatically storethe machine-ready model on a removable device such as a USB drive ormemory stick locally coupled to the client. In one aspect the userinterface provided by the server may include an option to download(e.g., to the removable memory device) and an option to print (e.g., toa locally attached three-dimensional printer).

As shown in step 524, the method 500 may include redirecting a printrequest. This optional step may be used, for example, when a model istransmitted directly to a printer as a request for fabrication, that is,as a print instruction or the like. The server may automaticallydetermine when the request should be redirected, such as when thethree-dimensional printer is unavailable or when some other printfailure or other print error is detected. In this case, redirecting theprint may include performing a supplemental selection of a suitablemachine-ready model based upon information for a secondthree-dimensional printer that is the target of a redirection of theprint request.

The methods or processes described above, and steps thereof, may berealized in hardware, software, or any combination of these suitable fora particular application. The hardware may include a general-purposecomputer and/or dedicated computing device. The processes may berealized in one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, embeddedmicrocontrollers, programmable digital signal processors, or otherprogrammable device, along with internal and/or external memory. Theprocesses may also, or instead, be embodied in an application specificintegrated circuit, a programmable gate array, programmable array logic,or any other device or combination of devices that may be configured toprocess electronic signals. It will further be appreciated that one ormore of the processes may be realized as computer executable codecreated using a structured programming language such as C, an objectoriented programming language such as C++, or any other high-level orlow-level programming language (including assembly languages, hardwaredescription languages, and database programming languages andtechnologies) that may be stored, compiled or interpreted to run on oneof the above devices, as well as heterogeneous combinations ofprocessors, processor architectures, or combinations of differenthardware and software.

Thus, in one aspect, each method described above and combinationsthereof may be embodied in computer executable code that, when executingon one or more computing devices, performs the steps thereof. In anotheraspect, the methods may be embodied in systems that perform the stepsthereof, and may be distributed across devices in a number of ways, orall of the functionality may be integrated into a dedicated, standalonedevice or other hardware. In another aspect, means for performing thesteps associated with the processes described above may include any ofthe hardware and/or software described above. All such permutations andcombinations are intended to fall within the scope of the presentdisclosure.

It should further be appreciated that the methods above are provided byway of example. Absent an explicit indication to the contrary, thedisclosed steps may be modified, supplemented, omitted, and/orre-ordered without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

The method steps of the invention(s) described herein are intended toinclude any suitable method of causing such method steps to beperformed, consistent with the patentability of the following claims,unless a different meaning is expressly provided or otherwise clear fromthe context. So for example performing the step of X includes anysuitable method for causing another party such as a remote user or aremote processing resource (e.g., a server or cloud computer) to performthe step of X. Similarly, performing steps X, Y and Z may include anymethod of directing or controlling any combination of such otherindividuals or resources to perform steps X, Y and Z to obtain thebenefit of such steps.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shownand described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art thatvarious changes and modifications in form and details may be madetherein without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosureand are intended to form a part of the invention as defined by thefollowing claims, which are to be interpreted in the broadest senseallowable by law.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: storing a plurality ofmachine-ready models of an object, each one of the plurality ofmachine-ready models adapted for one of a number of types ofthree-dimensional printers each having a predetermined configuration;and receiving a request from a client for the object through a datanetwork; identifying a three-dimensional printer associated with theclient; selecting one of the machine-ready models corresponding to thethree-dimensional printer associated with the client; and transmittingthe one of the machine-ready models to the client through the datanetwork.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the request from the clientincludes a single action from the client in a web page served by a webserver to the client.
 3. The method of claim 2 further comprisingreceiving the one of the machine-ready models at the client andtransmitting the one of the machine-ready models from the client to thethree-dimensional printer for fabrication.
 4. The method of claim 2wherein the client is configured to automatically store themachine-ready model on a removable memory device locally coupled to theclient.
 5. The method of claim 2 wherein the single action is a singlemouse click from the client.
 6. The method of claim 1 wherein themachine-ready models include g-code for fabricating the object.
 7. Themethod of claim 1 wherein the client is the three-dimensional printer.8. The method of claim 1 wherein the client is a computing devicecoupled in a communicating relationship with the three-dimensionalprinter.
 9. The method of claim 1 further comprising: receiving adigital model of the object through the data network; and creating theplurality of machine-ready models based upon the digital model.
 10. Themethod of claim 1 further comprising storing a second plurality ofmachine-ready models for each of a plurality of objects.
 11. The methodof claim 10 further comprising providing a user interface through thedata network for the client to browse the plurality of objects andselect one of the plurality of objects for fabrication.
 12. The methodof claim 1 further comprising verifying a printability of each one ofthe machine-ready models on a corresponding one of the types ofthree-dimensional printers.
 13. The method of claim 1 further comprisingstoring metadata for the object.
 14. The method of claim 13 wherein themetadata includes one or more of a computer rendering of the object, aphotograph of the object, an author comment for the object, a number ofdownloads for the object, a category tag for the object, and apopularity rating for the object.
 15. The method of claim 14 wherein themetadata includes the number of downloads for the object, wherein thenumber of downloads includes a number of downloads for each one of themachine-ready models for the object.
 16. The method of claim 1 furthercomprising modifying a selected one of the machine-ready modelsaccording to specific configuration information for thethree-dimensional printer associated with the client.
 17. The method ofclaim 1 further comprising: automatically determining when a request tofabricate a selected one of the machine-ready models should beredirected to a second three-dimensional printer; and performing asecond selection of one of the machine-ready models corresponding to thesecond three-dimensional printer.
 18. The method of claim 17 furthercomprising managing a print queue for the three-dimensional printer andthe second three-dimensional printer.
 19. The method of claim 17 furthercomprising managing a print queue for the client.
 20. The method ofclaim 1 wherein the types of three-dimensional printers includedifferent printers from a single manufacturer.
 21. The method of claim 1wherein the types of three-dimensional printers include printers usingtwo or more printing technologies selected from a group including jetprinting, stereolithography, fused deposition modeling, layered objectmanufacturing, and selective laser sintering.
 22. The method of claim 1wherein the predetermined configuration includes one or more hardwarecomponents of the three-dimensional printer.
 23. The method of claim 22wherein the one or more hardware components include one or more of adisplay, a heated build platform, a camera, a conveyor, and acolor-mixer.
 24. The method of claim 1 further comprising, when two ormore of the machine-ready models are suitable for the three-dimensionalprinter associated with the client, selecting one of the two or moremachine-ready models according to a predetermined criterion andtransmitting the one of the two or more machine-ready models to theclient.